William Birch The City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania North America as it appeared in the year 1800 book of twenty-eight plates, published in 1800, First Edition, a visual record of Philadelphia depicting homes and public buildings including First Presbyterian Church, Alms House, Bank of Pennsylvania, and twenty-five others, oblong folio in sheets on laid and wove paper, engraved by W. Barker, the title page with the arms of Pennsylvania, retaining its original leather binding, 14 1/4" x 18". William Russel Birch (1755-1834) was the first person to successfully publish engraved view books in the United States. Among the 156 original subscribers to the work were Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Jefferson who kept his copy in Washington and then to Monticello until he sold it to help form the Library of Congress. There are not many copies of this book extant with few known still in private hands. The last public sale occurred at Sotheby's in November, 2000. Binding is very loose. Losses to binding. First few pages are detached. Toning to edges mostly to top edge. First three pages with small losses to bottom right corner. Minor foxing.